The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-28
POPULAR SCIENCE.

The higher Of the two peaks of Kfli1
mHnjaro, the loftiest mountain in Africa,
has just been ascended by DR.. A. Meyer,
of Leipsic, who places its height at
nearly 10000 feet.
A great deposit of gypsum recently dis.
covered in Humboldt County, Neb., has
been sold to q syndicate of English capi-
talists for $3.50, 900. 1t is estimated that
it will yield 1000, 900 tons.
In English collieries, roburite has
proven equal or superior to gunpowder
in blasting effects, while absolutely free
from the fame that renders gunpowder
so dangerous in the presence Of explosive
gases. sep. .c",.
Probably the largest private collection
of meteorites is that of Mr.. George F.
Kunz, the wellknown mineraIogist of
New York city. The collection contains
over one hundred specimens, one-third
of which are untroken. ,.... q.
From an examination of 100. 900 per-
sons Prof. Erismann, of St. Petersburg,
finds that those engaged in textile. manu-
factures, especially spinners, are inferior
to other working men in stature, chest
measurement, bodily weight and muscular
strength. .....
Professor Won Hippel has shown to
the Ophthalmological Society of Heidel-
burg, Germany, his second success in
grating the rabbits cvrnea into the
human eye. The patients visual power
with the new eye is about one:tenth of
the normal, and coarse print may be
read.
According to Mr.. E. G.. Ravenstein,
the English foot is used as the standard
of length by countries having All, ,000,-
900 inhabitants, the metre by 347,091,-
900 people, and the Castilisn foot, by
5, ,905, 900. Denmark and Russia are the
only countries in Continental Europe
which have not adopted the metre.
A vessel in use in the upper Thames
owes its motive power to the explosive
force of petroleum. The boat is started
by lighting a lamp, and the lamp must
be extinguished to stop the engine. The
fuel costs less than coal, while the omis-
sion Of the boiler saves much space and
the expense of fireman and working
engineer. The craft is of American
origin. ~ ...ss.... -a. :
A novel and ingenious application Of
electricity, permitting the services of
walters to be dispensed with, has lately
been introduced into some of the Paris
dining rooms. The new waiter consists
of q small electric tram car, running on
rails fitted to the dining room table and
leading into the kitchen. The current
is supplied from accumulators and by
means of switch located near each
guest, the car is under complete control,
and plates, dishes, etc., ale brought and
removed with silence and rapidity. -
An atmospheric phenomenon was OBJ
served in San Francisco the other even
ing, and is referred to by the Chronicle:
About II o'clock thin band of light, of
the consistency of cloud, and extend
ing across the zenith from east to- west,
was seen skirting the heavens. The sky
was almost perfectly clear and there was
no fog. At first it appeared like thin
band, but gradually expanded until it
was about two feet wide. The light
emitted from it was considerable. Itcon-
tinued to be visible for about an hour,
and, after flashing like an aurora, finally
disappeared. During the continuance
of the phenomenon an electric disturb
ance was produced and many of the tele-
phone wires failed to work.